The invention relates to a furniture hinge having a fastening portion and a hinge part that is connected to the latter by way of a multiple-axle articulation connection, wherein a spring indirectly or directly biases the hinge part in relation to the fastening portion at least in a part-region of the readjustment path of the hinge part, and wherein the spring is tensioned or tensionable between two spring bearings.
Furniture hinges of this type are used in order to move a pivotable flap between an opening and a closing position, for example. So-called flap fittings of this type are usually used in the construction of furniture and are employed in the region of wall units. The flaps herein are pivotable about a horizontal axis. Ideally, such a flap fitting should hold the flap in a self-acting manner in an intermediate position in the intermediate repositioning path between the opening motion the closing motion. In the range of the opening stroke, the flap has to be held in a reliable and stable manner such that said flap does not return in a self-acting manner to the closing position. In the range of the closing stroke, the flap should be reliably pulled to the closing position. In order for such coordinated repositioning paths to be achieved, furniture hinges are usually used in which spring-biased control curves having a complex control geometry are used. It is disadvantageous in the case of these furniture fittings that the bias that is applied by the spring is very high in the closing position and in comparison thereto is smaller in the opening position. This leads to an unnatural motion sequence which is considered disruptive by some users. This issue is additionally amplified when flaps of dissimilar weight are employed on the furniture hinges. Such a furniture hinge is known from EP 1713996 B1, for example.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a furniture hinge of the type mentioned at the outset, in which an optimized closing motion is enabled.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that the spring during the readjustment of the hinge part from the opening to the closing position, and/or during the readjustment from the closing to the opening position is readjusted in the region of the two spring bearings thereof.
As opposed to the prior art, in which at all times one spring bearing is fixedly disposed and the second spring bearing is readjustable in relation to the former in order for the spring to be tensioned or to be relaxed, the invention now follows another path. In the case of the furniture hinge according to the invention, both spring bearings are now readjusted during the opening and/or the closing motion. The second spring bearing may thus be conjointly guided during the motion sequence, such that the spring force of the spring may be regulated during the motion sequence. On account thereof, homogenizing or adapting in a tuned manner to the respective application case may be particularly performed in a targeted manner. In particular, according to a respective layout of the system, a hinge variant in which the second spring bearing in the range of the closing stroke is readjusted in the direction of the closing stroke, so as to reduce the spring tension on account thereof may also be implemented. Accordingly, it may also be provided that a potential furniture hinge in the range of the opening stroke is designed in such a manner that the two spring bearings are readjusted in opposite directions, so as to achieve additional tensioning of the spring. The furniture hinge according to the invention may be embodied by way of the readjustment of the two spring bearings, in particular also so as to be of small installation space, since complex control mechanisms such as control curves may be dispensed with.